Bung question

[LittleSister]

I cannot imagine trying to taper bits of wood in an emergency to fit a hole. It would have to be fairly round to start with.

Exactly so.

The reality is that just about anything will be good enough in emergency. A towel would be enough to reduce flow to a trickle. I have repacked a stern gland on a 1.5 inch shaft when afloat. A couple of turns of rag stopped all the flow while I prepared the new packing rings.

But the flow of water that passes through the tiny narrow gap between a shaft and a stern gland, even without packing, doesn't amount to much.

My experience was that once you have an opening more than, say, a fist size, it becomes extremely difficult to push anything into place against the incoming flow, let alone get it to stay in place. Add that jet of water in your face as you're trying to work in an awkward location, knee or elbow deep in water, darkness, everything slippery from a thin coating of diesel, boat heaving about, and it all becomes hugely challenging. Hence anything than can ensure you have the right thing of the right size to hand, and won't be washed out of sight or reach if you drop it, would be greatly appreciated in the very unlikely event you'll ever need it.

I agree, though, that jamming a wedge of cloth into a small opening like a through-hull could be just the ticket, though I imagine you'd probably need to hammer it in with the end of a screwdriver or similar (a wooden tapered bung, perhaps?) to make it stay there.

 

[vyv_cox]

Exactly so.


But the flow of water that passes through the tiny narrow gap between a shaft and a stern gland, even without packing, doesn't amount to much.

My experience was that once you have an opening more than, say, a fist size, it becomes extremely difficult to push anything into place against the incoming flow, let alone get it to stay in place. Add that jet of water in your face as you're trying to work in an awkward location, knee or elbow deep in water, darkness, everything slippery from a thin coating of diesel, boat heaving about, and it all becomes hugely challenging. Hence anything than can ensure you have the right thing of the right size to hand, and won't be washed out of sight or reach if you drop it, would be greatly appreciated in the very unlikely event you'll ever need it.

I agree, though, that jamming a wedge of cloth into a small opening like a through-hull could be just the ticket, though I imagine you'd probably need to hammer it in with the end of a screwdriver or similar (a wooden tapered bung, perhaps?) to make it stay there.

Most of us encounter this situation regularly, removing a log impeller for cleaning. About 1.5 inch diameter? I just hold a sponge on the housing, locate the blank, lift off the sponge and push the blank home. No drama whatsoever.

 

[stuartwineberg]

I use one regularly to temporarily block the limber hole in the compartment where the log impeller lives while I swap it for the blank. Prevents seawater getting into the main bilge